Breaking Sasuke
by AkaiTsume
Summary: A secret crush and a brooding boy in denial. The possibilities...SasuNaru ShonenAi, Canon
1. Denial

Author's note: Just a bit of Sasuke torment. Gotta love it. And just a note, this is not a follow-up to Chasing Naruto.

Disclaimer: Naruto doesn't belong to me.

Enjoy.

* * *

God hated him. 

Sasuke was positive of it. Rubbing his chin, he dodged an incoming blow from his would-be "rival" by rolling to the side and leapt to his feet. Sasuke managed to snag the blonde's next punch, using his momentum to push the shorter eighteen-year-old forward, but the damn dobe managed to bring his leg up into Sasuke's blind spot and nail him in the hip.

Hissing, Sasuke spun away from him. _That's how many now? Four hits to two?_ Gritting his teeth, he ignored the smirk on Naruto's face and formed the tiger seal. _Every time we spar, he gets just a little better. I'm starting to lose more often than I win, dammit._

Naruto laughed at him, flipping backwards out of range as Sasuke unleashed a fire attack.

"What's the matter, Sasuke-_chan_? Getting slow?" Fox-grinning at the frustrated genius, Naruto lifted a fist. "Or am I just getting that much better than you?"

"Keep talking, dobe," he ground out. Hands flying through seals, he rushed at Naruto. _I'll catch him with my new locking jutsu. If I can pin him, I can lock his body in place and..._

_...Um..._

Unbidden, images of the blonde pinned beneath him and staring up at him with those damn blue eyes began to dance through Sasuke's head. Shaking his head, Sasuke tried to return his mind to the task at hand. _Goddamn it, man, FOCUS!_

His hesitation cost him everything. Naruto had already been rushing towards him with blue chakra wrapped about his hands, and in the half-second it took Sasuke to retrieve his wandering mind, the blonde slammed first his right open hand into Sasuke's right shoulder, then switched to clap his left against Sasuke's left. Grunting, Sasuke found himself spun around and brought heavily to the ground. Naruto immediately sat on top of Sasuke's hips, hooked his feet around Sasuke's thighs, and grabbed the pale boy's shoulders, forcing them to the ground.

Naruto grinned down at Sasuke. "Heh. Pinned ya."

Scowling, Sasuke tried to fight Naruto's grip, but he found himself very firmly attached to the ground. He wouldn't be able to get the boy off based on brute strength alone (Naruto definitely had him topped there), and there weren't any other plausible solutions to remove the boy...

...Who was currently sitting on a very..._tender_ region...

...Yup. God hated Sasuke. Verrrrrry much.

Forcing a blush from his cheeks, Sasuke rolled his head to the side and stared blankly at the grass, and the trees in the distance, and my, was that a patch of dirt over there? How interesting.

_Anything_ to keep his mind off the blonde sitting atop him.

A deep chuckle brought Sasuke's gaze back. Sasuke imagined he could actually count each and every one of Naruto's teeth as the grinning boy leaned closer.

"Say it, Sasuke. You know you want to..." he coaxed, singing the last sentence. Still fighting his blush, Sasuke simply scowled.

...God, it would be _so_ easy to grab those hips and—

NO. No, no, and more no. Squeezing his eyes shut, Sasuke bit the inside of his cheek. _Please, I'm begging you, no fantasies. Not now, not when he's sitting...not when I can't hide it from him..._

"Saaaay iiiiiit." Naruto's voice danced around Sasuke's ears, and he could almost imagine that he could feel the boy's breath whisper against his cheek. "I'm not moving 'til you dooooo."

Letting out a barely contained growl, Sasuke snapped his eyes open and glared up at Naruto. "Get off me."

The boy stuck his tongue out at him, ignorant of the way Sasuke's eyes zeroed in on the appendage. "Not until you say it, Uchiha."

"Get. Off." In a minute or two, Sasuke was going to have a big problem on his hands, and he'd REALLY rather not have Naruto sitting on top of him when it happened. "NOW."

The blonde just gave him a satisfied smirk.

Sasuke engaged in a glaring contest for about thirty seconds before sighing. "All RIGHT, already." A humiliated and embarrassed blush on his cheeks, Sasuke turned his head to the side. _Dammit, I hate to do it, but...I'm running out of options._ Scowling, he ground out the song they'd pre-agreed on.

"Naruto can kick my ass, doo dah, doo dah..."

"What was that? I don't think I can hear you, Sasuke-chan." Grinning cheekily, he ignored the venomous glares he was receiving from the boy beneath him. "Try singing from the heart."

_I'll kill him. I'll detach his head, roll it in horse manure, and feed it to a crocodile!_

"He can kick it all day long, oh, doo dah day."

"There's a good boy." Releasing Sasuke, Naruto stood and moved a good distance back. He wasn't dumb enough to stay within striking range after that. Folding his arms over his broadened chest, he watched Sasuke pick himself off the ground and begin slapping at his clothes, muttering curses and other things under his breath that Naruto probably didn't want to hear.

"So, now what? Do you want to spar again, or call it a day?"

Pausing in his curses, Sasuke glared at Naruto. He was sorely tempted to call for a rematch, but his attention had already been drifting all over the place today. As much as he hated to admit it, if he tried to take Naruto on again today, he'd only lose.

"We're done," he grumbled.

"Cool. Want to catch dinner?"

Sasuke stilled, glancing over at Naruto. The blonde was looking at him expectantly, seemingly unaware of how unusual his request was. The two of them weren't always at each other's throats anymore, but neither were they close...spending an evening together was NOT a normal occurrence.

And yet, there it was. The way Naruto had asked, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world to go eat dinner together.

_...Could it mean...?_ Shaking himself mentally, Sasuke pasted a smirk onto his face to cover his surprise.

"Yeah, sure. Just so long as it isn't ramen."

Naruto snorted. "Hey, I won today. If I say it's ramen," he stuck his tongue out at Sasuke, "then ramen it is."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, but he didn't comment. His loss was humiliating enough without asking for it to be rubbed in. As they walked towards the blonde's favorite ramen stand, Sasuke's gaze kept sliding towards his companion. He seemed to be in a good mood about something...and it didn't feel like it was his victory over Sasuke that had brought it on. What was it, then? And why did Naruto ask Sasuke to come with him?

Finding himself in yet another battle with an oncoming blush, Sasuke discreetly eyed the shorter boy. Over the years, Naruto had developed into an undeniably attractive male. Some of his overly obnoxious attitude had been replaced along the way with an unsophisticated charm...though he was oblivious to it. A cheeky smile thrown just the right way had caused many girls their age to melt, especially when combined with an inherent sexuality that just seemed to radiate from the boy.

Where the hell had it _come_ from?

It was almost as if puberty had decided to give Naruto a belated birthday present, or a peace offering to smooth over its delayed arrival. Now, every casual pose or smirk or glance seemed to have an underlying meaning to it, even though the boy creating them didn't have a clue. His growing fan base was still loath to admit their attraction to him, since he was _Naruto_, after all, but they were gaining momentum nonetheless.

He supposed that Naruto's obliviousness was partly due to his being accustomed to getting stares for one reason or another; he just hadn't picked up on the change in attitude yet.

Unfortunately, the blonde's sudden growth in that area did nothing to make Sasuke's life any easier.

Every time they sparred together, every time they were stuck out on missions together or lost in some godforsaken land, Sasuke was forced to notice him. He had to admire the blonde's toned form, the slightly wild hint to his nature, and those damned blue eyes for HOURS on end...

...And the worst part was, it was getting harder and harder to keep those thoughts to himself.

He was positive that Naruto didn't suspect anything, but the chances of Sasuke accidentally giving himself away were always increasing. Frowning, the pale boy stuffed his hands into his pockets and glanced away. He'd really have to work on that...

"Oi, Sasuke. Earth to Sasuke!"

The boy blinked as he suddenly spied Naruto's hand waving before his face. Turning, he stared blankly at Naruto's amused face.

"What?"

"What planet were you just on? You were about to walk right past Ichiraku's." Lifting a finger, he pointed at the ramen stand right next to them. "See?"

Sasuke blinked at the stand for a moment before grumbling under his breath and following Naruto under the hanging flaps. He folded his arms on the table and glared at them while Naruto cheerfully ordered them some miso pork ramen. _Dammit, why can't I focus today? It's never been this bad before._

"So, spill. What's gotten into you today, Sasuke?"

Lifting his head, Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"

Naruto shrugged. "You seemed really out of it today. Your attention span is even shorter than mine."

Sasuke snorted. "If that were true, I'd be truly worried."

"Hey! Don't give me that attitude." Naruto made a face at him, then smiled brightly as their food was placed in front of them. Slurping down a few noodles, he continued. "It's not like you to be so spacey. I'm...curious."

Sasuke snuck a glance at him for that, his attention seemingly on his own food. _Curious? Or worried?_ Deciding to ignore the question, he picked up a few noodles and pondered them.

"What about you? You seemed to be in an abnormally good mood today," he asked in a flat, almost bored tone. With that, he placed the noodles in his mouth. _Ok, the question is out, and it didn't sound like I'm **too** interested in the answer. Doing good so far._

Naruto swallowed a large mouthful and grinned. "Of course I'm in a good mood! I beat the crap out of you today, I got close to topping Ero-sennin yesterday, and on top of it all..." Naruto leaned forward, conspiratorially.

"I think Sakura-chan is finally starting to notice me!"

Sasuke froze, his chopsticks in midair. "She...is?"

Naruto nodded happily, his grin threatening to crack his cheeks in two. "It's about time, but yeah! She's starting to give me those _looks_ she was always sending you." Turning back to his food, he gave Sasuke a sly look. "It's about time she figured out which of us is _really_ the better man."

Sasuke gave him a dry look, but his stomach had turned cold. _If Sakura really is starting to like Naruto...then that means...the two of them might..._

Appetite gone, Sasuke put his chopsticks down and stared down at his half-empty bowl. _The two of them might..._

"Sasuke?" Naruto paused to lift his bowl and gulp down the remainder of his order. Setting it down with a sigh, he glanced at Sasuke's bowl. "You're not going to finish that?"

Sasuke shook his head slightly, pushing the bowl towards the blonde. "I'm...not that hungry right now."

"Not...hungry?" Naruto stared at Sasuke like he'd grown another head. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Sasuke threw him an irritated look. "It means I don't feel like stuffing ramen down my throat, alright?"

Naruto frowned at him, reaching out to snag the boy's bowl. "Whatever. More for me." Working on inhaling the "new" bowl, he glared at Sasuke. "Sheesh, what got stuck in your ass this time?"

Sasuke slammed a fist down on the countertop before he could stop himself.

"It's...nothing." Taking a deep breath, he ran a hand through his hair. "I'm just...not feeling like myself lately."

Naruto stared warily at him. "Something you want to share?"

"No."

"Fine, then."

A thick silence settled between them (well, ignoring the sounds of ramen being actively inhaled). Looking away, Sasuke rose to his feet.

"I'm going home."

With that, he began to walk out of the stand, but a hand on his arm stopped him. Glancing back, he took in Naruto's surprisingly serious expression.

"What?"

"Sasuke...you know..." He hesitated. "If you have a problem, you can talk to me about it."

_Even if the problem is you?_ "I don't have a problem."

The look in his eyes told him that Naruto hadn't bought that one. "Well then, if one comes up," he continued dryly, but his face cleared as he spoke. "I just wanted you to know that you can come talk to me."

Sasuke couldn't help it; he stared. Naruto was looking at him with real concern in his blue eyes, and his grip on Sasuke's arm was strong, reassuring. Deep within his chest, Sasuke's heart gave a sharp _thump._

Blushing slightly, he turned away. "I'll...remember that."

Naruto nodded, releasing Sasuke's arm. The taller boy felt a momentary pang of disappointment at the loss of contact, but he viciously trampled it to the ground. Uncertain of the emotions suddenly spinning about inside him, Sasuke began to walk off.

"Oi! See you tomorrow, Sasuke."

Sasuke didn't turn around, his blush increasing slightly. "Aa." Lifting a hand briefly, he stalked off into the darkening streets.

As he walked, the image (complete with remembered sensation) of Naruto straddling him went on a rampage within his mind. Several alternate endings popped up with the memory, causing Sasuke to lift a hand and pinch the bridge of his nose to fight off yet another blush.

_It's going to be a loooong night._

Head bowed, Sasuke allowed his thoughts to take a turn before he embarrassed himself in public. _Could Naruto be right? Does Sakura really have feelings for him now?_ His heart twisted at the thought of those two holding hands, smiling sappy smiles, and leaning in for a...

Heaving a big sigh, Sasuke tipped his head up at the star-studded sky. _I guess there isn't much I can do about it. And besides, if Naruto's hung up on her..._ Frowning sadly, he returned his gaze to the ground. _...How can I expect him to ever feel anything for me...?_

"Sasuke-kun! Sasuke-kuuuuuuuun!"

Flinching slightly, he turned to see Sakura barreling down on him, a bright smile on her face.

"I didn't expect to run into you!" She stopped before him, giving him a coy smile. "How was your day?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes slightly, processing whether or not he should bother to respond. On the one hand, he _really_ didn't feel like talking to her—or acknowledging her existence, for that part—but on the other...

"Say...Sakura."

"Yes?" She perked up, thrilled by the fact that he'd actually said her name. It was rare that he addressed any girl, even if Sakura had been his teammate for years.

"Do you...like Naruto?" _Why do I feel like a louse for asking?_

"Naruto?" Her eyebrows shot up. "I...well..." Blushing lightly, she looked away. "I mean, he's gotten cute over the years, but..."

Dredging up her courage, she turned her gaze on him. Sasuke took an involuntary step back. _I don't want to hear this. I really don't._

"You're...Sasuke-kun, you're the only—"

"Ja." Sasuke spun on his heel, walking away before the stunned girl could finish her sentence. Stress lines appeared on his forehead. _Great. Just great. Way to go, genius, now not only do you know that Naruto's feeling encouraged by Sakura, but that she **still** doesn't return his interest. Now what do you do?_

Sasuke scowled. Even though his heart felt lighter, knowing that nothing would come out of Naruto and Sakura's supposed "attraction"—his face skewed up at that—now he had to wonder if he should do something. Should he tell Naruto to give it up—_And come to ME for once...no, he'd have a heart attack if I said that_—or should he just keep quiet about it, knowing Naruto would get shot down again?

Squaring his shoulders, Sasuke glared into the darkness. _It's not my problem. If Naruto wants to ask her out, it's his own fault. He should've given up on her a long time ago anyway._

Somehow, as he opened up the door to his empty house, that train of thought didn't make him feel much better.

* * *

"C'mon, Sasuke," Naruto whispered in a husky voice. "Say it for me." 

The pale Uchiha smirked, running his hands up the blonde's thighs. "No." He shuddered as Naruto bent down, ran the tip of his tongue along Sasuke's jaw line, and then traced it along the shell of Sasuke's ear.

"Pretty please?"

Swallowing, Sasuke's hands slid further up to clasp Naruto's hips, pulling them down against him. He nearly moaned at the feel of Naruto's ass against his erection.

"You'll...have to make me."

Naruto chuckled against his ear. "I think I can manage that." With that, he started gently raking his teeth over the Uchiha's skin, moving his hands from the boy's shoulders to dance across his chest. His slightly sharp nails raked against Sasuke's skin through the dark blue shirt, increasing their pressure when Sasuke hissed in a breath.

"Naruto..."

"Say it."

Sasuke glared at him through heavy-lidded eyes. "No."

In response, Naruto suddenly rocked his hips forward, grinding himself against Sasuke's groin. This time, Sasuke didn't bother to hold back the moan.

"Say it. Or I'll get off."

Sasuke's hands clutched at the boy's hips. "You wouldn't dare."

Naruto smirked, his face hovering inches above Sasuke's. "Wanna try me?" He rocked his hips again.

"_God_ yes." He blinked as Naruto suddenly pushed at him. "I mean no!"

The smirk still in place, Naruto moved closer, his lips hovering only a breath away. "Then say it."

Eyes zeroed in on those lips, Sasuke let out a shuddering breath.

"Naruto can screw my ass, doo dah, doo dah..."

Naruto chuckled, the vibration carrying through to Sasuke's body. "Good boy."

Closing his eyes, Sasuke leaned forward to close the distance between them...

_EEE! EEE! EEE! EEE!_

"Wha?"

Startled, Sasuke sat straight up in bed. He blinked blearily at the light in his room. _My...room? Then..._

With a groan, he turned to shut his alarm off. _Sixth dream about Naruto in a row. Marvelous._ Frowning, he glowered at the bright red digital display on the clock. _And it always ends during the good part, too..._

Grumbling under his breath, Sasuke started to climb out of bed. He headed straight to the bathroom in what was becoming a morning ritual. For the last six mornings in a row, and several before that, it was wake up, get up, think about Naruto and jerk off. It was embarrassing, but there wasn't much he could do about it. Especially since yesterday's stimulation hadn't helped things any...

Sighing, Sasuke turned on the shower, ducked his head under the spray and began to take care of his "problem." With luck, he wouldn't run into Naruto this morning; the last thing he needed to see was the guy he'd just jerked off over. Even _he_ would have trouble in THAT situation.

As he dressed, Sasuke had to ponder these troublesome feelings that kept conquering him whenever he was around the boy. It wasn't as if he'd never had a crush before, or that he'd never been attracted to anyone before—even if the occurrences were few and far between—but this constant obsession was becoming...worrying.

Frowning, he decided not to delve into that just now. He wasn't one for much self-evaluation unless it involved his brother, and emotions were...messy. Especially given the likely possibility that they wouldn't be returned if exposed. It would probably be best if he just ignored them, ignored the way he felt whenever he was around Naruto, ignored the boy himself...

..._Yeah. It'll be easy. Just ignore your attraction to him, and it'll be like it never happened._

_...Right._


	2. Groovy

Author's note: Thanks for all the great reviews! I hope you enjoy the next chapter. If this story seems familiar, it's because I have it posted at several places on the web. If you've seen it at FF dot net before, LET ME KNOW, because that means someone ripped me off. And yes, this is only going to be a tri-shot.

That said, Enjoy.

* * *

"Naruto! Oi! Over here!"

"Naruto-kun! What do you think about this?"

"Naruto, you dumbass, don't put that over there!"

_Right. Just ignore him. "It'll be eeeeasy."_

_HAH._

Sasuke leaned in a shadowed archway as his peers, older, and younger villagers worked on setting up booths for the summer festival. Vividly colored streamers and banners were being hung in every possible location, and the air was ripe with chatting voices and the scents of sample foods already being cooked.

And in the middle of it all stood Naruto.

A big smile on his face, the boy hefted two tremendous slabs of wood onto his shoulders and headed towards a booth in the beginning stages of its construction. A smaller boy snuck up behind him, a popper can clenched tightly in his hands.

"Say, Naruto-niichan?"

"Eh?" Blinking, Naruto turned around.

"SURPRISE!"

_POW!_

Coughing, Naruto shook his head violently to disperse the confetti and smoke. Still gripping the wood tightly, he snarled down at the laughing boy.

"Konohamaru! You just wait until I put these down, you little creep!"

Chuckling, the boy ran away and stuck his tongue out. "I learned it from you, Naruto-nii!"

"That's the _problem!_ Stop being such a good student!"

Onlookers just chuckled and shook their heads as the two continued their banter, most returning to work. Sasuke allowed himself a small smile. Naruto looked ridiculous with two boards as big as he was on each shoulder, streamers and confetti dangling out of his hair and off his nose, and his tongue very firmly planted in midair.

As if a blip had appeared on his radar, Naruto glanced over at Sasuke. The taller boy immediately schooled the smile off his face, almost in synch with the arrival of a smirk on Naruto's. The blonde sauntered over to him and paused, lowering one plank of wood to the ground and leaning against it.

"Well, now, isn't this a surprise! Ice-prince Uchiha is actually in the same area as people who are _gasp_ socializing? Shouldn't you be in the other end of town by now?"

Sasuke gave him a cool look. "Am I bothering you by being here?"

Naruto snorted. "No, but I think there'll be a full page write-up in the paper tomorrow. I'll bet the guy behind you is taking pictures right now."

_I won't turn to look. I won't._

Lifting an eyebrow, Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest and shifted his leaning position against the wall.

"If there's an article about me, it'll have to be right next to the one about you destroying half the festival in one shot."

"Hey! That was _one booth_, and only _one time!_ Will you guys drop it already?"

Kiba, who was working on nailing a wooden sign to the top of a stand—or just happily hammering, Sasuke wasn't quite sure—glanced down and snorted.

"Naruto, how can we let it drop? All I can remember about that festival is you, utter pandemonium, and a _lot_ of goldfish. It was hilarious!"

Ino glanced up from her flower arrangements. "Didn't he say he'd gotten a goldfish stuck down his yukata?"

"It was a _snapping turtle!_ The damn thing was trying to bite a hole through my chest!"

"At least until it made its way around to your butt!"

"Will you _cut it out already?_" Scowling, Naruto shot ineffective icy glares at his friends. "I can't live anything down, can I?"

"Not if we can help it, no." Kiba grinned at him.

Naruto sighed, then turned to glare at Sasuke, who was busy smothering a smile. "Quit laughing at me and help us set up, you lazy ass."

Smirking, Sasuke caught the plank of wood that was abruptly lobbed at him. "I thought Shikamaru held that title."

Chouji chuckled around a mouthful of potato chips. "And he's proud of it, so you might want to be careful giving it away like that."

The boy in question simply rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. It still holds for Sasuke." Giving him a Look from the corner of his eye, he started walking down the row of booths. "C'mon already, they need supplies down here."

Sasuke followed Naruto bemusedly, fighting hard not to let his gaze travel down the boy's back and focus on that firm, muscular ass...which he wouldn't know anything about, since he wasn't looking. Honest.

Frowning, Sasuke decided that as long as his gaze _happened_ to be in that region, he might as well take in the boy's mildly atrocious style. In honor of the hot day, he'd lost the orange jacket—did he realize just how good he looked in a black T-shirt?—but the bright orange pants were still there. They were rolled up at the bottom, but still, they were bound to be hot.

...Come to think of it, had Naruto ever worn shorts? Sasuke couldn't think of a time other than when Naruto went swimming or caught fish in his boxers—_I'm not going to think about that, I'm not._ Didn't the boy get hot?

Lost in his musings, Sasuke just barely caught the sound of snapping wood and a strangled curse. Glancing up, he saw a wooden sign break free on one end and come swinging down...

...And Naruto wasn't paying attention.

Sasuke reacted before he could think. Dropping his cargo, he rushed at the boy. He must have called Naruto's name, because the boy turned around and had just enough time to give him a confused look before Sasuke knocked them both to the ground. The sign missed Sasuke's head by inches, allowing him to feel a slight breeze as it went by.

Panting, Sasuke didn't move for a moment. He could feel Naruto's chest rising and falling beneath him, and this..._heat_ from the blonde's body seemed to sink into the pale boy's skin. Grunting, he forced himself to push himself up to his knees and glared down at Naruto.

"You idiot! Don't you ever pay attention? That sign was about to—" He paused to duck as the sign swung back. "—Clock you! Even a baby could have seen it coming!"

Naruto somewhat surprised face melted into a glower. "Well, _excuse me_ for having better things on my mind!"

Sasuke snorted derisively. "Oh yeah? Like _what_?"

"Like..." Naruto's eyes suddenly intensified, surprising Sasuke into lifting his eyebrows. The blonde reached up, snagged Sasuke's collar, and yanked, stopping when Sasuke's face was only inches from his. Letting out a small, surprised yelp, Sasuke stared down into Naruto's intense gaze and felt a blush rush across his features.

_Wh-what's he doing?_ Sasuke's eyes widened as a slow smirk quirked Naruto's lips. Swallowing hard, he tried to calm his heartbeat as Naruto's eyelids lowered halfway. He stared with fascination as those lips started to move.

"You know, I totally should have let that hit you."

"H-huh?" Blinking, Sasuke glanced up and saw that the sign was slowly swinging to a stop above his head. From where he'd been sitting earlier, the sign would have nailed him on a downswing if Naruto hadn't...

...Pulled him out of the way like that.

...Damn.

Blushing and furious at being unable to hide it, Sasuke lurched to his feet. Chuckling, Naruto followed suit.

"...But I guess I owed you one, since you saved me first." Turning, Naruto snagged the sign and lifted it, handing the free end back to a profusely apologizing teenager. "Hey, it's alright! It happens to everyone, right?"

Sasuke tuned out Naruto's reassurances, shoving his hands into his pockets and looking away. Something deep inside of him was shaking. The way he'd reacted when Naruto pulled him out of harm's way...did the boy suspect anything? Had he even noticed? Taking slow breaths, Sasuke tried to calm his still rapid heartbeat.

_I could've sworn, with that look in his eyes, that he was going to kiss me._ A horrible thought occurred to Sasuke. _Is it possible that...he knows? And he's just toying with me?_

His heart going cold, he turned to give Naruto what he hoped was a blank stare. Naruto was bending over to pick up his dropped piece of wood.

"Good, it's not broken. Iruka-sensei would have my head," he mumbled. Straightening, he blinked at Sasuke. "What's the matter with you?"

Sasuke slowly shook his head. "Nothing."

Lifting an eyebrow, Naruto turned and started continuing down their original path. "You know, you get weirder every day, Sasuke. You really do."

After a moment's hesitation, Sasuke retrieved his own board and followed after Naruto. He frowned as he contemplated the boy's behavior. He was chatting lively with people as they passed by, smiling, carrying on and tossing a quip or two at Sasuke from time to time. If he knew about Sasuke's feelings for him, he wouldn't be acting so normally, right? And Naruto wasn't really the kind of person to mess with another's emotions or thoughts...he was too straightforward.

...No. Naruto couldn't suspect. He'd have demanded an explanation by now.

Breathing a small sigh of relief, Sasuke quickened his pace. It wasn't until he was already helping cut wood and nailing that he thought more about it.

_...But if he doesn't suspect..._

_...What was with that look when he pulled me down?_

* * *

"Oi! Sasuke! Naruto!"

The two glanced up from hanging a banner—Sasuke still wasn't sure why exactly he was humoring Naruto by helping out—to see Kiba come running up to them. The scruffy boy grinned at them, Akamaru at his feet.

"I'm having a party tonight at my place. You two in?"

Naruto visibly perked up. "You bet! What time?"

"Around eleven." He turned to look at Sasuke. "What about you? Are you coming?"

Sasuke opened his mouth to turn down the invitation. It wasn't like he had anything to do tonight, but he wasn't the socializing type. He'd rather spend the night alone than stuck making small talk with his increasingly drunk peers.

"Yeah, sure. I'll be there."

Sasuke hoped he didn't look as surprised as he felt when the two gave him a startled stare. He knew what they were thinking since he was thinking it himself: _Uchiha Sasuke just agreed to go to a party?_

_...Did it just get cold in hell, or was it just me?_

Kiba recovered first, smirking as he turned to walk off. "Alright then. See you two later."

Sasuke watched him go off, spotting Naruto out of the corner of his eye. The boy was still giving him an odd stare.

"What?" he asked irritably. Naruto blinked, shaking his head as if snapping out of it.

"Nothing." Tying his end of the banner tight, Naruto flashed Sasuke a slightly off smile. "I have to run, I need to do a couple of errands for Iruka-sensei."

Sasuke lifted an eyebrow. "And I need to know this because...?"

Naruto gave him a sour look. "Just forget it. See you tonight, Sasuke."

The pale boy had to suppress the tingle that ran through him at those words. Granted, they were just going to be at a party together, but the way Naruto said it, it almost seemed like a date.

..._Right. In your dreams, Uchiha._

Shaking his head, he finished tying the banner to the post. _The day that happens, pigs will build a nest in my hair and lay eggs._

* * *

The sound of clinking drinks, loud music, and laughing teenagers surrounded Sasuke as he lounged upon Kiba's couch, nursing his own drink. Most of them were well on their way to being drunk, especially Kiba himself. The dog-lover currently had his arm thrown about a blushing Hinata's shoulders, and he was talking animatedly with Naruto about some stupid thing or another.

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke took another sip from his only drink of the evening. It was enough to have to deal with a crowd of drunks; he didn't have to be one of them.

"Hey! Let's play truth or dare!"

Everyone glanced around at the unexpected shout. Someone else replied, "When we're drunk?"

"That's when it's the most fun, dumbass!"

Kiba smirked, tugging a mildly protesting Hinata closer. "That sounds like a good idea. Everyone who's playing, c'mere and gather 'round!"

Several laughing, drink swinging people surrounded the table the boy was leaning against. As soon as he was satisfied with the number of participants, Kiba began the game.

"Alright...Sakura. Truth or dare?"

"Umm...truth."

Kiba thought for a long moment. "Who was your first kiss?"

The girl blushed darkly, darting looks at Sasuke. "Well, um, I don't really remember..."

"Aw c'mon, Sakura! Spill!"

She fumbled with her drink, mumbling something under her breath.

The others leaned forward. Naruto leaned his chin upon his hand.

"What was that, Sakura-chan?"

She tipped her chin up defiantly. "I-it was Ino, alright?"

The group went nuts.

"No way! You and _Ino?_"

"I can't believe it!"

"Hell, I _knew_ that Sasuke thing was a cover-up!"

Fists at her sides, Sakura called out. "We were seven, ok? We wanted to see what the older girls were talking about!"

Amongst the hooting, Naruto gave her a cheeky smile and threw an arm about her shoulders. "I can show you what the older girls were talking about, Sakura-ch—"

A fist in his face shut him up quite effectively.

Trying to recover her lost dignity, Sakura picked her victim. "Hinata. Truth or Dare."

"D-dare." She blushed, but her jaw line stayed strong. She was still trying to drag herself out of her shell, and now was as good a time to do it as any!

"Hmm." Sakura tapped her finger against her chin. Abruptly, she smiled. "Kiss Kiba."

"W-what?" It was amazing what miraculous shades of red the human face could muster. Stammering nervously under her breath, she turned towards the boy who'd adopted a huge grin.

"Sakura, I love you!" he hooted, right before wrapping his arms around Hinata, tipping her back, and planting his lips on hers.

Amid the catcalling and cheers, Hinata managed to shock and delight everyone by grabbing fistfuls of Kiba's hair and pulling him closer. When they came up for air, she smiled shyly, reached for her drink, and took a long sip. Calming herself, she allowed her smile to widen as Kiba's arm wrapped itself firmly about her waist.

"Okay...Chouji. Truth or Dare."

The slightly hefty boy grinned. "Truth."

"Who...who have you had the longest crush on?"

He paused to think for a moment. "Sakajima-san."

The others blinked at him.

"The...lady who runs the barbeque restaurant?" Kiba asked slowly.

"Yup!" Chouji grinned. "Her cooking is the best!" He ducked as several amused groans and slaps came at him. "It's true!"

Chuckling, Naruto took another sip from his—what was it, fourth? Fifth?—drink. "Alright then, Chouji. Your turn. Who's your victim?"

The boy pouted, staring thoughtfully at Naruto. Abruptly, his face cleared, and he pointed at the boy in front of him.

"Naruto. Truth or dare."

Naruto blinked in surprise, but he lowered his drink and smirked.

"Dare. Bring it on, barbeque boy!"

Chouji thought intensely for a long moment, glancing around and muttering to himself. Eventually, his gaze lighted on Sasuke, who up until now was only watching the game with vague interest. A drunken grin settled on the large boy's face.

"I dare you...to striptease and give Sasuke a lap dance!"

Everyone went nuts as Naruto dropped his drink. His jaw fell open, and he sputtered.

"You want me to _what?_"

_You want him to WHAT?_

Laughing uproariously, Kiba slapped him on the back. "C'mon, man! Give the Uchiha a show." He gave Naruto a challenging grin. "Unless you're too chicken to do it."

"Like hell I am!"

Sasuke didn't think he could move if he tried. He was pretty sure his heart had just stopped, and sweat broke out on his hands and forehead.

_Naruto's going to give me a lap dance?_ He blinked, resisting the urge to pinch himself. This was going to be the epitome of Sasuke's dreams—and nightmares—if it were real. _Maybe that sign really DID hit me earlier._

Smirking, Naruto downed the rest of his drink. "I'll show you guys. Uzumaki Naruto isn't afraid of anything!" He stomped over to the stereo, changed CDs, and selected a song. Smirking, he strode over to Sasuke and took a wide-legged stance before him, hands planted on his hips. Sasuke could only stare up at him, a deer-caught-in-the-headlights look on his face.

After a moment, the music began.

_I'm too sexy for my love, too sexy for my love_

_Love's going to leave meeee._

As the beat began, Naruto started to dance in front of Sasuke, hips gyrating and shoulders rolling. Sasuke's grip on his drink tightened dangerously. _Someone tell me this isn't really happening..._

_I'm too sexy for my shirt. Too sexy for my shirt,_

_So sexy it huuuurts._

At that, Naruto ran his hands up his chest, grabbed the collar of his shirt, and ripped the front in half. Sasuke's mouth went dry as Naruto smirked and peeled the remains of his shirt off, tossing it in Sasuke's face.

_I'm too sexy for Milan. Too sexy for Milan,_

_New York_ _and Japan._

_And I'm too sexy for your party. Too sexy for your party._

_No way I'm disco dancing!_

Naruto pulled an old-fashioned point and pelvic thrust move at that spot, causing Sasuke to suddenly down the rest of his drink. _Dear god..._

_I'm a model, you know what I mean,_

_When I do my little turn on the catwalk._

_Yeah, on the catwalk. On the catwalk yeah, _

_I do my little turn on the catwalk._

At the following dance break, Naruto strode closer, planting a hand on either side of Sasuke's shoulders and running a tongue over his teeth. One hand was removed to trail down Naruto's bared chest, the muscles flexing as he continued to dance. Sasuke's grip on Naruto's shirt—he'd caught it by reflex when Naruto tossed it at him—tightened, and he found himself strategically placing the shirt over his groin.

_I'm too sexy for my car. Too sexy for my car,_

_Too sexy by far._

_And I'm too sexy for my hat. Too sexy for my hat,_

_What do you think about that?_

At that, he ripped his hitai-ate off his forehead and flung it across the room.

_I'm a model, you know what I mean_

_When I do my little turn on the catwalk._

_Yeah on the catwalk. On the catwalk, yeah,_

_I shake my little touche on the catwalk._

One guess as to what he did there.

At the next dance break, Naruto reached for his zipper. Sasuke had just enough time to think: _He couldn't really be planning to—_

Before he could finish the thought, Naruto's pants caught him in the face.

Almost afraid to look, Sasuke wrapped his fingers around the fabric and slowly pulled it away from his face. There Naruto was, standing before him in his boxers, pulling long, fluid, wave-like moves with his upper body. Sasuke nearly had to check himself to make sure he wasn't drooling.

He was definitely starting to have a problem...

_I'm too sexy for my—too sexy for my—too sexy for my—_

Naruto suddenly climbed onto the couch, placing one knee to either side of Sasuke. The blushing boy glanced up at Naruto as he grinned, continuing his hip-gyrating motions at a MUCH closer range.

Sasuke's little "problem" just got a LOT bigger.

Sasuke felt a trickle of blood run down from his nose. Flinching, he rushed to place his hand under his nose to stem any more flow. His eyes helplessly followed Naruto's hips as they pumped and swayed before him.

_God help me, give me strength..._

_Cuz_ _I'm a model. You know what I mean _

_As I do my little turn on the catwalk._

_Yeah on the catwalk. On the catwalk, yeah,_

_I shake my little touche on the catwalk._

Naruto sang along with that verse, placing his hands on Sasuke's chest and caressing boldly. Sasuke had to fight to keep breathing, his grip on the clothes threatening to rip them. He had to stifle a gasp as Naruto did the unexpected—

—He dropped his hips onto Sasuke's and started rolling.

_Oh GOD._

Sasuke trembled with the strain of holding himself back. Maybe Naruto was drunk enough to do this, but Sasuke couldn't claim the same excuse. No matter what, he HAD to keep his hands to himself, he had to—

Biting his lip, he tried his very best to ignore the wonderful sensations along his groin that Naruto was creating.

...Wait. _WHAT?_

_I'm too sexy for my cat. Too sexy for my cat,_

_Poor pussy. Poor pussy cat!_

At that, Naruto leaned forward and purred into Sasuke's ear. Sasuke swallowed convulsively, trying to think happy thoughts, trying to find his happy place...

...Which didn't work at all, because those train tracks kept bringing him right back HERE.

_I'm too sexy for my love. Too sexy for my love,_

_Love's going to leave me..._

Naruto stood abruptly, striking a dramatic pose. He sang the last line aloud.

"And I'm too sexy for this song!"

Their friends went wild, hooting and laughing, and Naruto gave them a tremendous grin. Some of the girls whistled at him.

"Thanks for the show, Naruto!"

"I think Sasuke enjoyed it more!"

Sasuke flinched at that, startling the frozen expression off his face. Clutching Naruto's clothing to his groin to hide the effect of Naruto's little "dance," he slunk down in his seat.

_I won't be able to sleep for a WEEK after this..._

Accepting the praise and applause gratefully, Naruto turned, swept into a deep bow—presenting Sasuke with a nice view of his behind—and straightened, giving Sasuke a saucy wink over his shoulder.

"You can keep those. Think of them as souvenirs."

Sasuke's blush intensified against his will, and he sunk lower into the overstuffed couch. Ignoring the catcalls and amused, "well-intended" jibes thrown at him, Sasuke fought to get himself under control.

For the first time in his life, Sasuke truly, passionately wanted to get drunk.

Some time later, when people seemed to vaguely forget the game and Naruto's dance, Sasuke stood and excused himself to the kitchen. Leaning heavily against the sink, he sighed and ran a hand over his face.

"For crying out loud, Naruto..." he moaned quietly. "Are you completely oblivious? Can you honestly have no idea what you _do_ to me!"

"Maybe you should tell _him_ that."

Sasuke nearly jumped out of his skin, spinning around to find himself face to face with a very drunk and bemusedly smiling Kiba.

"If you're that turned on by him, maybe you should _tell_ him so."

Sasuke sputtered and stumbled over a hundred denials, but one look at Kiba's face told him that he was wasting his breath. Closing his mouth, he turned away and stared into the sink. Normally, he would have ignored the drunk boy until he wandered away, but something inside him wanted, just this once, to discuss what was happening to him.

"...And what then? Naruto's not interested in me. I'll only humiliate myself," he eventually replied.

Kiba shook his head, taking a sip from his drink. "And how do you know he's not interested in you?"

"He's straight."

Kiba lifted an eyebrow. "You sure?"

Sasuke turned, giving him an incredulous look. "Are you serious? Naruto's been hung up on Sakura for _years_. I've never seen him _once_ imply that he had any other inclinations. He's obviously straight."

"You know..." Kiba stepped forward, placing his drink on the counter and pinning Sasuke with a stern look. "Just because Naruto likes girls, it doesn't mean that he can't like guys, too."

Sasuke flinched. "But...he's never shown anything that would imply he's even remotely interested in guys."

"...But he's shown interest in you."

Sasuke blinked. "What?"

Kiba shrugged. "I dunno. I could be wrong, but I always thought I sensed this...electricity coming off the two of you. I didn't think much on it, but maybe—"

"That's impossible." Sasuke shook his head in firm denial. "Naruto doesn't have a clue. All he's ever been interested in from me is the rivalry and friendship, nothing more."

He turned to gaze sadly out the window. "Nothing more."

Kiba rolled his eyes. "Well, how will you ever know unless you take a chance? Are you planning to keep quiet about the fact that you love him until it's too late?"

Sasuke's heart skipped a beat. "W-what do you mean, l...lo..."

"Love, Sasuke. It's not hard to pronounce," Kiba remarked dryly. "You love him, don't you?"

Sasuke stared at him, his eyes the size of saucers. _Do I?_ That would certainly explain his near-constant obsession with the blonde and his free-wheeling emotions whenever the boy was around...

_I...love Naruto?_

Blushing furiously, Sasuke turned away. He barely registered the sound of liquor hitting an empty glass as he struggled to get his jumbled thoughts into a recognizable order. When the glass was suddenly shoved in front of him, he nearly jumped.

"Here. Maybe this'll loosen you up." Kiba watched as Sasuke tentatively took a sip. "Look, I don't really care if you decide to tell Naruto or keep it a secret until doomsday, but I'm still going to say this. If you keep it to yourself, give up on him and he ends up with someone else, will you be satisfied? It'll happen, if you say nothing. He'll get married, have kids, whatever, and you never even took a _chance_."

He turned and began to walk out of the kitchen. Glancing back, he added one more thought as he walked out the door.

"If that happens, will you be able to live with yourself?"

Sasuke watched him go, then pondered his drink.

_Will you be able to live with yourself?_

_Coward._

Gritting his teeth, he lifted the glass and downed all of its contents.

* * *

Naruto set his mostly full glass aside as the party began to wind down. Dressed in a borrowed pair of Kiba's sweats, Naruto took a glance at his friends. Aside from Lee, who was forbidden by everyone to drink, he seemed to be the only person who wasn't drunk out of his mind.

One of the benefits of having Kyuubi. A guy could _definitely_ hold his liquor.

Naruto's small smile faded as he took in Sasuke, who was leaning irritably against the wall, yet another glass in his hands. The boy, whom Naruto thought at first would be the restrained drinker, had suddenly seemed to be on a mission to get himself horribly and vision-splittingly smashed, downing drink after drink. He'd even participated in six of the seven drinking games, for cripe's sake.

What got into him?

Frowning, Naruto watched as Sasuke gave yet another admiring girl the Look of Death before returning to his drink. As the night went on, Sasuke's limited socializing skills had vanished completely. Sighing, Naruto pushed away from the table he was leaning on and walked over to the boy.

Sasuke looked up as he approached, a wary, narrowed gaze zeroing uncertainly on Naruto's face.

"What do you want, dobe?"

"I told you to stop calling me that!" Naruto watched as Sasuke's balance slipped, causing him to stumble a few steps away from the wall before he caught himself. He sighed again.

"All right, that's enough for you." Ignoring the boy's protests, he snatched the glass out of Sasuke's hands and grabbed the boy's arm, leading him towards the door.

"Where the hell are we going?"

"Home. You're tanked, Sasuke."

"'N' you're not?" Sasuke leaned forward, blinking blearily into Naruto's face. "Huh. Guess you're not. Damn." Straightening, he ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "You had way more drinks than I did."

"I'm not so sure of that anymore. Now c'mon, Sasuke." He walked the gently weaving boy to the door, calling out to Kiba as he passed, "I'll return these tomorrow, ok?"

Kiba waved him off. "Yeah, sure, whatever." He smirked abruptly as he spotted Sasuke. "Go for it, Uchiha! You can do it!"

Confused, Naruto glanced up as Sasuke merely grunted in return, a blush settling on the boy's already flushed features.

_What was that all about?_

Shrugging, Naruto helped Sasuke down the few stairs in front of Kiba's door. He chuckled lightly as the boy stumbled.

"Easy there, Pretty Boy. There's no rush to reacquaint your face with the ground."

Sasuke stilled, locking eyes with Naruto.

"...You think I'm pretty?"

"Huh?" Naruto blinked as Sasuke lurched forward, bringing their faces close together.

"Do you...think I'm pretty, Naruto?"

For some odd reason, Naruto found himself fighting off a slow blush. "Well, I..." Recovering, he flashed Sasuke a dry smirk. "I'm sure your fangirl squad can answer that one."

Sasuke grunted, dropping his gaze and glaring at the ground. "So could yours."

"What?" Naruto lifted an eyebrow at him.

Sasuke shook his head. "Nothing."

The two walked in relative silence to Sasuke's house. After Sasuke's third trip, Naruto slung the boy's left arm over his shoulders and wrapped his arm about Sasuke's waist, giving him all the support he'd need. When he glanced up, he could swear that Sasuke was blushing, but that didn't make any sense.

...Then again, lots of things over the last few days hadn't made any sense.

He kept catching the Uchiha looking at him with a peculiar glint in his eyes, and the boy seemed to blush every time they came in contact. At first he'd wondered if Sasuke was coming down with something, but after a while he'd noticed the boy's peculiar pauses and odd hesitations in conversations and battles with him. It was like he was trying not to show something, but what could it possibly be?

Not that his worrying ever got him any answers. Sasuke was about as open as a maximum security prison.

After what felt like an eternity, Naruto managed to bring them to Sasuke's front steps. He paused, looking at Sasuke expectantly.

"Are you going to open the door, or should I just leave you in a heap on your stairs?"

Sasuke gave him a slow, I'm-trying-to-process-this look. "I'll open it." He fumbled in his pockets, eventually withdrawing his keys and unlocking his door.

"...Though I didn't expect to bring you home with me tonight."

"What?" Naruto's head snapped up while he tried to open the door and get them through without running either of them into the doorjamb. "What did you just say?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Nothing, Uzumaki."

As soon as they stumbled into the house, Sasuke pushed away from Naruto and staggered into the kitchen. Curious, Naruto followed.

He frowned when Sasuke took down a glass and a bottle of scotch from a cabinet.

"No way. You're going to keep drinking?"

"I'm already home, aren't I? What does it matter if I drink now?"

Naruto moved forward, stealing the glass and bottle from Sasuke's weak grip. "You're already going to have a monster hangover, you idiot. Stop making things worse!"

Sasuke scowled at him. "What the fuck do you care? Why don't you stop being such a good 'friend' and get the hell out of here!"

Slamming the glassware on the counter, Naruto turned on him. "Gee, nice thanks I get for trying to take care of you! I've been worried about you all _week_, you asshole, and now you're trying to throw me out!"

Sasuke's eyes suddenly became very focused. "You were...worried about me?"

"Of course I was, you flake! Why do you think I asked you to dinner yesterday?"

Sasuke's midnight eyes seemed to darken as he stared at Naruto. After a moment, Naruto flinched under the pressure.

"What's your problem now?"

Sasuke didn't seem to hear him. Giving an imperceptible nod, he stepped forward.

"I've decided."

"Huh?" Naruto took a step back as Sasuke advanced, stopping when he felt the kitchen table bump the back of his legs. "Decided what?"

Sasuke stepped forward again, planting one hand on either side of Naruto on the table and leaning forward.

"I'm not giving up on you."

"Huh? Sasuke, wha-_mmph_!"

Naruto's eyes grew wide as saucers as he found his lips under siege by a very sloppy Sasuke. Question marks stampeding through his brain, Naruto reached up and clutched at Sasuke's shirt for balance.

The boy growled in response, deepening the kiss and driving Naruto's head back.

_What the hell is going on here?_ Naruto made small, surprised noises in his throat as Sasuke's tongue found its way into his mouth. The taste of alcohol and Sasuke's own spice flooded his senses, making him close his eyes for a brief moment.

Before he could open them again, Naruto found himself pushed flat on his back on the table, with Sasuke's hands greedily running over every available inch of the blonde. Squeaking in surprise, Naruto started to push at Sasuke's shoulders.

The dark haired boy lifted his head, staring down at Naruto with intense, heavy-lidded eyes.

"God, I've wanted to do this for _so long_..."

Gripping Naruto's knees, he forced the boy's legs apart, stepped between them, and rocked his hips forward.

Naruto gasped as he felt clearly what he thought he'd been mistaken in feeling earlier at the party. Sasuke's erection rubbed against him, the force of the boy's thrusts increasing as Sasuke gripped Naruto's hips and pulled him to meet him, groin to groin. Naruto felt dizzy, a condition that only worsened when Sasuke dipped his head and began sucking feverishly at Naruto's neck.

"S-Sasuke, what..." Swallowing hard, Naruto squeezed his eyes shut. "What are you doing?"

Sasuke bit him lightly, running his tongue over the offended area. "Something I've been dreaming of for the last _month_."

"W-what?"

"It was sporadic at first," Sasuke continued absentmindedly, focused on his ministrations to Naruto's neck. "A dream here, a dream there. Nothing to worry about." He worked his way up to Naruto's jaw, his hips never ceasing their thrusting rhythm. "But it kept getting worse...this last week, there hasn't been a single damn night where I didn't dream of you. Of doing _this_ to you."

Naruto's mind was reeling. _Sasuke's been lusting after me? THAT'S why he's been acting so weird lately?_

Suddenly unable to breathe, Naruto pushed at Sasuke's shoulders. "Sasuke...wait. Get off me. I need to think—"

"Then _think_." Sasuke returned his attention to Naruto's lips, ravaging his mouth with a ferocity Naruto couldn't comprehend. Panic shooting through him, Naruto lifted a foot and slid it between them, pressing against Sasuke's stomach.

"I—" he started, ripping his mouth away. "Said OFF!"

With that, he pushed Sasuke with all his might...

...And flung the boy into the opposite wall.

Naruto shakily climbed to his feet as Sasuke stared up at him, a blank expression on his face.

"I-I need to think about this, Sasuke. I can't just—"

Sasuke snorted, seemingly uncaring about his undignified position on the floor. "Now you're going to tell me that you had no idea? Even with that damn lap dance of yours—"

"I _didn't_ have any idea, Sasuke! That's the point!"

The taller boy shut up, staring up at Naruto with widened, unfocused eyes. "You...didn't?"

"No!"

After a long moment, Sasuke picked himself off the floor and settled himself unsteadily in a nearby chair. Naruto began backing off, heading for the entrance to the kitchen.

"Look, I'll...I'll see you tomorrow, alright, Sasuke?"

The boy gave him a curt nod, waving him off.

Naruto took the chance to skitter out the front door. Closing it securely behind him, he leaned back against it and closed his eyes.

"Geez, Sasuke. What am I supposed to do now?"

When the night supplied no immediate answers, Naruto stuffed his hands into the sweatpants' pockets and headed home, his head bowed.

_What do we do now...?_

* * *

Author's note: I've never fried so many brain cells in one chapter before...00 


	3. Matsuri festival

Author's note: Here's the conclusion! And sorry to disappoint some of you, but it's Shounen-Ai for a reason. ;; Gomen!

Enjoy!

* * *

Three elephants and fourteen trumpets.

That was all that Sasuke's brain could manage as he woke, wincing at the intense morning light. His head was pounding viciously, every sound and sight magnified a million times over.

Groaning pathetically, he ran his fingers through his hair and clutched at his aching skull. _Another dream about Naruto last night. God, will I EVER get a break from him?_ He attempted to peel one eye open again, barely able to take the assault of the lit room. _At least this time I managed to stay asleep for the good part._

A part of him stirred at the memory. Having Naruto here, _finally_ kissing him and pushing him down on the kitchen table—though that was odd. Why the kitchen table?—in his dreams was almost a relief after all the tormenting dreams of the last month. Though really, the ending could've used some work...

Grunting, Sasuke peeled his face off the table, one hand sliding from his hair to slap against the polished wood. He winced at the sound, the noise reverberating through his skull like three sugar high kangaroos.

...Hold up. Table?

Blinking blearily through his swimming vision, Sasuke slowly took in the room around him. He was sitting at his kitchen table, where he'd supposedly dumped himself after Naruto...

...Left...his...house.

Slowly removing his other hand from his hair, Sasuke began to shake his head. _No. It couldn't be. I know I got drunk at Kiba's party, so I must have...I must have passed out, and someone brought me here...or maybe I walked here and didn't realize it..._ Frowning, Sasuke scratched the back of his head, mussing his already gravity-defying rooster tail. _There's just no way that Naruto brought me back here. He was drunk, too, wasn't he?_

_...Wasn't he?_

An odd, tense feeling settled about his shoulders as Sasuke gingerly rose from his chair. Glaring in confusion at the table, he began to dismiss the cold ball of dread curling in his stomach.

_I must've just crashed in here last night, once I got home. That's probably why I dreamt about Naruto...after that lap dance, I probably even imagined that he walked me all the way here._ Desperately clinging to that train of logic, Sasuke pulled a strained smirk. _I couldn't have been so stupid as to..._

_...As...to..._

Sasuke froze, one hand sprawled on the table, his body turned to walk—stumble, whatever—out of the kitchen. His eyes focused on a particular spot on the table, the blood draining from his face.

_No...it can't be. It CAN'T be._

A blonde hair rested in the center of the table.

As if in a trance, Sasuke slowly moved around the table and reached out, grasping the hair with his thumb and forefinger and slowly lifting it in the air. The morning light caught on the fine strand, illuminating the gold like a splash of fire. Sasuke's hand began to tremble.

"Naruto's...hair...is on my table," he enunciated slowly. His breath shortened and his vision swayed. "That...that means..."

Legs suddenly weak, Sasuke stumbled backwards until his back hit the refrigerator, sliding down it.

_THAT WASN'T A DREAM!_

"Oh...god..." Sasuke choked out, his bottom hitting the floor. _I really let him into my house last night. I actually..._ Sasuke swallowed audibly. _I actually pushed him down on the table and...and **humped** him._

Sasuke began shaking violently, bringing his hands up to clutch desperately at his arms. _That wasn't a dream last night. I practically forced myself on him, and he...he pushed me off...and the look on his face when he left was..._

Abruptly, Sasuke leapt to his feet, stumbled to the sink, and retched violently.

After a few minutes, Sasuke's shaking legs collapsed, and he rested his head against the cool wood of a cabinet, his hands still clutching the edge of the sink.

"He knows," Sasuke ground out, his voice hoarse. "He knows everything. _Everything._"

Grinding his forehead back and forth against the cabinet, he let out a choked sob.

"_Fuck!_"

* * *

Naruto sat in his favorite seat at Ichiraku's, absentmindedly stirring his ramen with his chopsticks. A soft frown marred his face as he stared blindly into the steaming bowl. 

_Last night..._ Sighing, he sat up and ran a hand through his hair. _Where the hell did that COME from? Since when has Sasuke been...attracted to me?_ His frown deepened. _And why did it take him getting roaring drunk to admit it?_

The more he thought about it, the less Naruto was sure of what he was actually upset about. The kiss-fest, the shock, or the secret. He tried to think back over the events of the night, but he only succeeded in blushing wildly and ducking his head down. _Geez, Sasuke..._

"Naruto!"

Glancing up, he smiled weakly as Sakura came trotting up to him. "Morning, Sakura-chan."

She sat next to him and glanced at his still mostly full bowl, but she refrained from commenting. Tipping her head, she let her pink hair fall to the side.

"Naruto, have you seen Sasuke-kun this morning?"

He stiffened slightly. "Sasuke?"

"Yeah. I've been asking around, but no one's seen him since last night. I figured that if anyone had, it would be you."

He glanced up, his face carefully curious. "Why me?"

Sakura blinked at him, then shrugged. "Well, you took him home last night—" She missed the way Naruto's face abruptly rivaled a tomato— "And you're the one closest to him, after all."

Naruto turned back to his bowl, thinking about that one. _That's true. We've been watching each other's backs for years, even after the whole Orochimaru thing. Even if we fight and we're mean to each other, I've never felt uneasy around Sasuke. Hell, sometimes being around him is the only time I feel NORMAL._

"...No, I haven't seen him," he answered belatedly. Sakura sighed, rising to her feet.

"Well, I'll drop by his house and see if he's there. I'll see you later, Naruto."

Naruto started to watch her go, his brain running as slow as molasses.

"Ne...Sakura-chan?"

When she turned to look at him, he placed a sheepish grin on his face, sliding a hand behind his head.

"Would you do me a favor?"

* * *

The cheerful sounds of villagers enjoying the festival couldn't filter into the darkened house on the deserted street. Every shade was pulled shut, every door and window was locked, and not one light was on. 

Deep in the shadows, Sasuke sat, huddled, in the center of his bed. His knees were drawn up to his chest, his arms were wrapped tightly around them, and his face was pressed against his knees. Not a sound ventured into the dark room.

Staring blankly ahead, and glad that he couldn't see anything, Sasuke tried to keep his mind relatively free of thought. If he didn't think, then he wouldn't have to think about...

He squeezed his eyes shut, gritting his teeth. _What the fuck am I going to DO? He'll never talk to me again; hell, the next time he **sees** me, he'll probably beat the shit out of me._

Somewhere amidst his turbulent thoughts, he dimly wondered what time it was. It didn't matter...if it were up to him, he'd stay holed up in here for the rest of his life.

Hell, it was easier than digging himself a hole and burying himself. And he was fairly sure that he wouldn't fit underneath a rock.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

Sasuke didn't budge until the knocking continued for about six times. His head slowly lifting, he stared uncomprehendingly towards the source of the noise.

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

Slowly, Sasuke slid to the edge of the bed and placed his feet on the floor. _Who...?_ He straightened slowly, walking out of his room and wandering down the hall. He winced lightly at the knocking, since his hangover still hadn't completely vanished. Steps slowing, he regarded the front door as it swung into view.

_Could it be...Naruto?_

Heart pounding, Sasuke stopped in front of his door, one hand on the lock and the other clutching the handle. His hands started shaking again.

_Do I really want to open the door? What's he going to say?_ An unpleasant image of Naruto happily burying a kunai in Sasuke's heart made him pull back from the door. Surely Naruto wouldn't be _that_ drastic, but then again, he'd never had a guy try to force himself on him before. Who knows how he'd really react?

The knocking ceased abruptly. Gritting his teeth and squaring his shoulders, Sasuke threw back the lock and tightened his grip on the handle.

_I can do this. I'm not going to run from him!_

Bracing himself for the worst, he threw open the door.

_I'm not a coward!_

"Sasuke-kun?"

Waiting impatiently for his vision to clear—and for his mind to stop screaming, "_The light! It buuuuuurns!"_—Sasuke eventually took in the sight of the girl who was standing in front of him, a concerned smile on her face.

"...Sakura?"

The pink-haired girl stepped forward, hands clasped tightly in front of her as if she had to restrain herself from reaching out and touching him.

"I...I'm sorry to bother you, Sasuke-kun, but I heard that no one's seen you since last night, and..." She lowered her gaze, blushing prettily. "I was worried."

A thick mixture of disappointment and relief rushed through Sasuke with such force, he found himself sinking against the doorjamb. Lifting a hand, he rubbed wearily at his eyes.

"Is that all you wanted?" he asked irritably.

Her smile faltered. "Well, actually, I also came with a message."

Did it look like Sasuke gave a shit? "And?" he questioned, his voice containing an edge.

"Well, I ran into Naruto this morning, and—"

"Naruto?" Sasuke blurted before he could stop himself. Straightening, he stared at the surprised girl. "What...what did he say?"

She blinked at him. "He...said that you should come to the festival tonight, though he didn't give me a reason why." Pausing, she took in the troubled look on Sasuke's face. "Is there...something going on between you two?"

Sasuke immediately put all of his freewheeling thoughts on hold and gave Sakura a cold stare.

"No, there isn't."

She looked like she wanted to question further, but one glance at the boy's face apparently convinced her not to try.

"Then, will we see you at the festival today?"

Sasuke hesitated, turning his face away. Should he risk it?

"A-Aa."

This time, Sakura gave him a genuine smile. A small part of Sasuke felt almost wistful; she really was a good girl at heart, even if she was a little single-minded.

It was almost a shame that she never stood a chance.

"Alright, then, I hope to see you later, Sasuke-kun." Smiling, she turned to head down the stairs.

"...When you saw Naruto..."

"Hmm?" Sakura turned back to him, surprised at the sudden tension in his shoulders and jaw.

"When you saw Naruto..." Gritting his teeth, Sasuke plundered on. "How did he...look?"

She blinked confusedly, but she gave the question some thought. "Well, I'd say he looked the same as he always does, but when I think back...I think he was a little upset about something. He had a full bowl of ramen in front of him, and he barely touched it."

_Naruto wouldn't eat ramen? I don't think he's EVER been that upset._

Snorting lightly, Sasuke closed his eyes. _Of course he's upset. Who wouldn't be after his rival suddenly admits to lusting crazily after him for weeks, even months?_ A hand pressed against his temple. _And then there's the whole molestation thing..._

"...Sasuke-kun?"

He glanced up at her, a small frown on his face. Her brow wrinkled, she reached out and placed a hand lightly on his arm.

"Are you sure you're ok?"

Lowering his gaze, he pulled away. "I'm fine." _Translation: Go away. I want to go back inside and brood._

Sakura smiled weakly. "Alright. See you later, Sasuke-kun."

The door was shut before she even hit the stairs.

* * *

_I'm a dead man._

Sasuke overcompensated for the dread in his stomach by pasting a blank expression on his face as he wandered slowly around the festival. By the time he'd gathered the guts to put on a dark blue yukata and wander into the bustling streets, the sun had already begun to dip lazily towards the horizon.

He glanced around, spotting a few of his peers, but he simply turned away. Hands stuffed in his sleeves, he headed for a quieter area near the end of the street.

He stood there for a long moment, his thoughts growing darker by the second. When Naruto showed, _if_ he showed, Sasuke was going to get rejected, at the very least. More likely Naruto was going to beat the shit out of him for even _thinking_ about him that way, and the sad thing was that Sasuke would probably let him.

Strange, how a person's will to fight could dry up so completely. A kind of hopeless desperation settled over Sasuke as he went through all of Naruto's possible reactions. Wasn't there even a shred of a chance that Naruto would accept him? Even if he didn't actually want Sasuke in return, was it possible for Naruto to...

...Care for him at all?

Sasuke let out a short, humorless chuckle at that train of thought.

"Damn, I'm pathetic." Smiling wryly, he lifted a hand and ran it through his hair. _But then, I guess I would be pathetic. I'm hopelessly in love with a guy who would probably rather screw a mountain goat than me._

"...What do I _do?_"

When the quiet breeze failed to respond to him, he glanced at the bustling festival. Should he go and seek out the blonde? Or was he just supposed to wait somewhere? Frowning, Sasuke took a step towards the festival.

_If I were Naruto, I wouldn't think to wait on the outskirts of a festival. I'd be having fun in the middle of all the action._ He stifled a sigh, gently weaving through the crowds. Sasuke hated crowds, hated socializing, and hated festivals.

What better place to shoot him down?

After about a half hour of fruitless searching, Sasuke let out a huff of frustration and stopped in the center of the street.

"Where the hell IS he?" His dread temporarily forgotten, he glared at the stalls around him. He wasn't at any of the shops, and he wasn't at any of the food places. Where else would the little idiot _go?_

As if on cue, a volley of cheers rose up over the crowd. Sasuke glanced irritably towards the commotion.

...Prize booths?

Shoving his hands in his sleeves and glowering, Sasuke strode towards the gaming booths. He checked the fish stalls briefly, but his eye kept being caught by a rather thick crowd of intermittently cheering girls. Giving in to his curiosity, he wandered over to the shooting stand and stood at the edge of the crowd.

_What on earth are they so excited about?_ he thought sourly. _Women. They're always so—_

"Yoosh! This one's for Michiko-chan!"

_BANG!_

"Nice shot, Naruto-kun!"

"Thank you so much, Naruto-kun!"

Sasuke froze for a millisecond before forcing his way through the crowd of girls. Each started to protest before she took a good look at who was pushing her out of the way. Ignoring the stares he received, Sasuke finally made his way to the center of the group.

_Naruto..._

Unable to stop himself, Sasuke drank in the sight of the blonde. Naruto stood before him in a deep red yukata, gold phoenixes in flight embroidered magnificently over the material. The rolled up sleeves showed off the defined muscles in Naruto's arms as the boy lifted the pellet gun, took careful aim, and fired.

_CLANG!_

"Ooo, can I have that one, Naruto-kun?"

"No way! It's mine!"

Sasuke fought down a wave of jealousy as the girls fawned over Naruto, cooing in his ear and clutching at his yukata. _They're getting bolder, those damn vipers._

Chuckling, Naruto turned to the two girls who were currently foaming at the mouth.

"Look, this one'll go to Karin-chan, but I promise I'll win you something, too, Akari-chan." Naruto disarmed the latter girl's protests by giving her a wide-toothed grin. Relaxing, the girl admitted defeat.

"All right, but I want the pink rabbit!" she declared. Smiling, Naruto turned back to the line of targets and started to take aim.

Scowling, Sasuke folded his arms tightly over his chest. _That little creep! He hasn't even noticed me yet!_

Naruto glanced over at him.

Sasuke's breath caught in his throat as Naruto stared at him, his face unreadable. Several words started and died in Sasuke's throat.

_Naruto, you...what are you thinking? Did you not expect me to find you, or are you just that unhappy to see me now?_ Cold seemed to bubble in his stomach, spreading to the rest of his body.

_Do you loathe me?_

Without saying a word of acknowledgement, Naruto returned his gaze to the game before him. He shifted his aim slightly, a look of intense concentration on his face.

_BANG!_

Sasuke looked away, his fists clenched at his sides. _So he's just going to ignore me. He tells me to come out here, gathers a huge group of girls, and—_

"Eh? Did Naruto-kun miss?"

"He didn't hit the rabbit. Naruto-kun, who's that for?"

"It doesn't look very feminine..."

Sasuke didn't move, his eyes narrowing. _If all the little asshole wants to do is humiliate me, then I'll be damned if I'll just stand here and—_

"Take it."

Blinking, Sasuke glanced up. Naruto stood before him, an odd smile on his face. The blonde lifted his prize, pushing it into Sasuke's chest.

"I said take it." He smirked. "I figured you'd like it better than a teddy bear."

Unable to comprehend the blonde's attitude, Sasuke stared down at the stuffed animal in his hands. It was a black cat with almond-shaped red eyes, a self-assured smirk stitched onto its face. All in all, it reminded Sasuke of...himself.

"This is...for me?" he asked slowly.

"No, I'm just making you look at it," Naruto replied dryly. Turning his attention back to the curious group of girls around him, he lifted a hand and smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, ladies, but I need to go. I'll win some more prizes later, ok?" Ignoring their grumbles and curious whispers, Naruto turned, clutched Sasuke's elbow, and began tugging him through the crowd. Sasuke stared down at the point of contact, every train of thought derailing before it got into the station.

_He's touching me? He can actually stand to be near me?_ He glanced at the stuffed cat in his hands. _And he won this for me?_

_...What the hell is he thinking?_

"Naruto, you—why did you..." Gritting his teeth, Sasuke tugged his arm free of Naruto's grip and pushed the toy towards him. "Who the hell said I wanted this?"

Naruto glanced at the toy, then up at Sasuke. Giving the boy an exasperated look, he folded his arms defiantly across his chest.

"No one said you wanted it, but stop being an ass for a minute and _accept_ it, will you?" He frowned when Sasuke opened his mouth to protest. "Does everything have to be a fight with you?"

Sasuke shut his mouth promptly, catching the edge in Naruto's voice. The blonde nodded shortly, turning to continue walking. Following with a small, worried frown on his face, Sasuke tightened his grip on the toy.

"Where are we going?"

Naruto shrugged. "I dunno. We need to talk, Sasuke."

_Here it comes..._ Glancing away, Sasuke tensed his jaw. "Look, about last night—"

"Hey! Takoyaki!" Cutting off a surprised Sasuke, Naruto darted to a nearby stand and bought himself two orders of the steaming octopus balls. He flashed a genuine smile, eagerly popping them into his mouth.

"They always make the best takoyaki during festivals!" he declared, popping another into his mouth and humming happily. Sasuke stared as the boy he loved, who was probably going to shoot him down tonight, happily stuffed his face in front of him.

...And _damn_, Naruto looked good in that yukata. Sasuke would give anything to wrap his arms around the boy's waist and pull him close...

Blushing lightly, Sasuke glanced away. Naruto swallowed as he glanced up at Sasuke.

"What? What's with _that_ expression?"

Sasuke shook his head. "It's nothing." _You look as edible as those takoyaki, damn you._ His blush increased, and Sasuke found himself staring steadfastly at the ground. _You ALWAYS look edible._

Naruto didn't reply for a long moment, munching quietly on his snacks.

"...Sasuke, you..." The blonde hesitated when Sasuke's shoulders became rigid. Sighing, Naruto grabbed Sasuke's arm again and led him towards the quieter trails through the park ahead. When he was sure that no one was listening, he faced Sasuke and folded his arms carefully, making sure not to spill any of his takoyaki.

"All right. Care to tell me what that was all about last night?"

For a split second, Sasuke considered the sudden wild impulse to turn and run for his life. He could probably outrun the boy for a while, especially if he caught him by surprise...

When good sense returned, Sasuke frowned and turned away.

"Last night, I was...intoxicated, and you were handy." He hesitated, unable to look at Naruto. "I'm...sorry."

"...Bullshit." Naruto frowned as Sasuke looked at him in surprise. "Do you really think I'm _that_ oblivious? I know you, Sasuke. You're the last person who would touch someone like that just because they were 'handy'."

Unable to hold Naruto's gaze, Sasuke looked away. "Believe what you want, then."

"Look, why don't we skip the next fifteen minutes of bullshitting, lying and arguing and just get to the truth." Naruto stepped forward, ignoring the way Sasuke shifted uneasily. "Why did you really come on to me last night?"

"I..." Sasuke's words died in his throat. _What should I say? I can't just tell him how strongly I feel about him, but if I lie, he'll catch it. What do I do?_

Sensing that Sasuke was unable to respond, Naruto sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"You know, you really are an asshole, Sasuke." The boy in question flinched. "I mean, first you start feeding me lines, then you short circuit my brain by jumping me, and now you're acting like you want to forget it ever happened."

Giving Sasuke something akin to a pout, Naruto shifted his stance. "You know, you really managed to turn my world upside down on me. I didn't get a wink of sleep last night, and I've spent the entire day just...confused."

Lifting an eyebrow, Sasuke finally met Naruto's gaze. "Confused?"

"Yeah. I've been confused about everything: about me, about how I feel about you, about you, about why the _hell_ I didn't pick up on all those signs _before_..."

Dredging up his nerve, Sasuke stepped closer. "And? What did you decide, regarding your...feelings for me?"

Naruto stared at him. "See, that's just it. I don't know. I don't..." He sighed, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "I never really thought about you that way, Sasuke, but now... And I still don't know how you feel about _me_ in the first place."

"And if I tell you? What will you do then?" Some part of Sasuke relished the stunned expression on Naruto's face, while the rest of him wondered what the _hell_ he was doing.

Tipping his chin up defiantly, Naruto glared at him. "I _told_ you that I don't know. Hell, I'm not sure if I'm even _attracted_ to you...well, that way at least."

Ignoring the sharp twist in his heart, Sasuke latched onto the uncertain tone in Naruto's voice. He stepped forward again.

"Well then, maybe we should find out."

"Huh?" Naruto lifted an eyebrow at him. "Find out how?"

"Well..." Advancing on him, Sasuke backed Naruto up until they were hidden in the shadows of a nearby tree. "You could let me kiss you again." _What the fuck am I saying? Naruto's going to HATE me for this!_ "If you like it, you'll have your answer."

"And if I don't?" Naruto asked warily, his gaze dropping to Sasuke's lips.

"...Then I guess I'll have mine." His heart pounded furiously in his chest as he awaited Naruto's answer. _I must be crazy. After all that's happened, I'm coming on to him AGAIN? I should have walked away, or just told him to forget it, or..._

"_If you don't take a chance...will you be able to live with yourself?"_

Sasuke's jaw line hardened. _No. I won't give up on this boy without a fight. If he isn't sure about me, then I'll MAKE him sure. One way or the other..._ He stepped a little closer, his eyes intent on Naruto's mouth.

_...This ends tonight._

"Well?" he prompted, noticing that Naruto still hadn't said anything. Biting his lip, the blonde took a deep breath.

"All...all right. But just one kiss, alright? And no funny stuff."

Sasuke fought down a nervous smile and nodded, lifting one hand to gingerly cup Naruto's cheek. His breath catching, Sasuke leaned forward and closed the distance between them.

_Oh god..._

Warm bolts of electricity flashed through him at the contact, making Sasuke press closer to the boy. Naruto's scent filled his nose, and Sasuke's eyes drifted shut as he nipped gently at the other boy's bottom lip. Naruto's lips parted at the action. Taking advantage, Sasuke slipped his tongue into the shorter boy's mouth.

_FINALLY!_

Naruto's taste flooded his mouth, a mixture of takoyaki, ramen, and something warm, like cinnamon. Moaning quietly, Sasuke let the hand on Naruto's face slip around to cup the back of his head while the back of his other hand trailed down the boy's chest, eventually moving to wrap his arm about the boy's waist. He pulled him closer, suddenly desperate for more contact.

_God, the difference when I'm actually sober!_ Heart pounding, he tightened his grip on the boy and pulled him flush against him, chest to chest. _Yes...oh, yes..._

Naruto abruptly shoved at Sasuke's shoulders, pulling away from him.

"No."

Sasuke had to take a minute to process the finality in Naruto's voice. No? What was he saying no...to...

The world shattered around him.

Sasuke's hands started trembling uncontrollably, and he clutched at the stuffed cat he hadn't realized he was still holding. _Naruto's rejecting me. He allowed me to kiss him, but he hated the feeling so much that..._

Lowering his head until his bangs covered his face, Sasuke clenched his teeth. No matter what, he wouldn't let Naruto see how much he'd hurt him.

"Here. Give me that."

Blinking, Sasuke stared at his hands as Naruto slowly pried the cat from his fingers. His heart cracked into a few more pieces.

"You...gave this to me," Sasuke heard himself whisper. He sensed more than saw the blonde shake his head.

"Just hand it over, dumbass."

It was stupid, it was immature, but Sasuke didn't want to let go. He knew it was nothing but a stuffed doll, a toy he hadn't even wanted in the first place, but...

He watched, devastated, as Naruto succeeded in pulling the animal away. The boy turned, setting it and the takoyaki down on the ground out of the way, and then straightened, turning to face Sasuke again.

_So what now? Is he going to hit me? Call me a pervert and demand that I never talk to him again?_ Sasuke's hands balled into fists, the jagged pieces of his heart mercilessly cutting into him. _Even if I deserve it, I won't..._

His thoughts trailed off as Naruto clutched the front of Sasuke's yukata and tugged the boy closer. Glancing up, Sasuke took in the small smile on Naruto's face.

"All right. Try that again, hot shot, _without_ the stuffed animal."

Sasuke's heart gave a sharp _thump_ in his chest as he slowly slid his arms around Naruto's waist. The other boy smirked at him.

"What, _now_ you're shy?" Naruto snorted. "Maybe the only time you're interested is when I'm completely unsuspect—"

Sasuke promptly shut him up.

Arms tightening, Sasuke crushed the other boy against him as he plundered his mouth. He inhaled sharply as Naruto's hands clutched at Sasuke's upper arms. _He's not pushing me away. He's actually letting me kiss him._

Relishing the feel of Naruto's body pressed against his own, Sasuke ran his hands up and down the blonde's back. The feel of toned muscle underneath the silk made Sasuke let out a small moan. _GOD he feels good..._

...A little _too_ good, apparently.

Reluctantly, Sasuke ended the kiss and moved back a little. He kept his arms wrapped around Naruto's waist, since he wasn't even sure if was capable of letting go right now, but he didn't want Naruto to feel Sasuke's reaction just yet. It was enough that Naruto let Sasuke kiss him—though, now that he thought about it, Naruto hadn't exactly kissed him back. Responded, maybe, but he hadn't really returned anything—and the last thing Sasuke wanted was for Naruto to think that he was just going to shove him against the nearest hard surface and repeat history.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto opened his eyes and stared at Sasuke. The brilliant blue had darkened, and the effect of his gaze had Sasuke backing up another step, his mouth suddenly dry. Naruto took another breath and stepped away as well, running a hand through his unruly hair.

"Well, I guess that answers _that_ question." He smirked dryly. "Have you always been a good kisser, or is this another one of 'ah, so that's how it's done' Sharingan things?"

Sasuke allowed himself an amused smirk at that one. "What do you think?"

"Right. Not answering that one." Naruto fell silent, looking away.

The silence began to grow tense. Folding his arms, Sasuke attempted to stare the shorter boy down.

_Well? Out with it. Is there a chance or not?_

"Sasuke, I...I don't think I should make a decision right now. If we just jump into a relationship, I don't think I'll ever know if it was what I really _wanted_, or if I was just going with the flow." He gave Sasuke a weak smile. "I guess I'm not as rash as everyone thinks I am."

Sasuke's lips twitched in a tiny, sad smile. "I guess not."

Taking in the look on Sasuke's face, Naruto reached out. "Hey. Before you start jumping to every negative conclusion you can think of—don't give me that look, I know how your mind works—I'm not rejecting you. I just want to make sure that what I'm feeling right now is real."

_What he's feeling right now?_ Sasuke found himself staring at Naruto as the boy gave him a genuine smile. For the first time since the beginning of the day, a real sense of hope unfurled within him.

"So...you're saying that there's a chance?" he asked, his voice surprisingly husky. Blushing, Naruto glanced away and nodded.

"I guess you could say that." Turning, he bent and gathered the takoyaki and the toy, handing the cat back to Sasuke. He smirked. "I think it missed you."

"Shut up." Blushing lightly, Sasuke took the animal and tucked it under his arm. "So, what do you want to do now?"

_Fssssssssssssh...BOOM!_

The two glanced up as a brilliant green firework exploded in the night sky. Smiling, Naruto started walking towards the filling fields nearby.

"Care to watch the fireworks with me?" He sent a saucy smile over his shoulder at the Uchiha.

"Sure..." His blush increasing, Sasuke fell into step beside Naruto. _He won me a prize, we kissed, and we're watching fireworks together. This festival thing has kind of turned into...a date, hasn't it?_ His heart gave another sharp _thump_, and he sent a wary glance at Naruto. _He couldn't have planned this, could he?_

As they wandered through the crowd, Naruto gave Sasuke a sly look. "You know, I was originally going to ask Sakura-chan out to this festival."

Sasuke snorted, his sense of humor (what little there was) returning. "What makes you think she'd have said yes?"

"She could have!" Naruto pouted for a second, narrowing his eyes. "Do you know something that I don't?"

"You actually know something?"

Naruto swiped at Sasuke's shoulder, satisfied when the taller boy grunted. "Creep." They walked in silence for a moment. "...But still, I'm glad that I didn't." He smirked. "Things wouldn't have been _half_ as interesting."

Sasuke didn't reply, but a smirk settled upon his features. _Damn right._

Finding a spot among the spectators, Naruto and Sasuke settled down in the cool grass and watched the fireworks blossom above their heads. Sasuke leaned back, hands supporting him from behind and the cat resting on his lap. After a long, comfortable silence, he spoke quietly.

"Do you still want to know how I feel?"

"Damn straight I do." Naruto's reply came easily, and he turned to give Sasuke a warm smile with a hint of a smirk within it. "But I'm willing to wait. You can tell me when you're ready."

Naruto turned his face back to the sky, unknowingly letting the light of the fireworks play across his handsome features. Sasuke stared, an expression of longing crossing his face before he, too, glanced up at the sky.

"...I love you, Naruto."

The other boy was silent for a long moment, but then Sasuke felt Naruto's hand settle upon his.

"Glad to hear it."

Warmth settled in Sasuke's heart as they interlaced their fingers and continued watching the fireworks. A full, genuine smile spread across the boy's features, and he tightened his grip on Naruto's hand. Sure, things hadn't worked out as well as they could have, but for the first time, he had a real hope for the future.

He glanced at Naruto as the other boy began idly playing with his fingers. His smile growing, Sasuke leaned over and pressed a kiss to the boy's temple. In return, Naruto shifted closer and leaned against Sasuke's side.

Happy for the first time in his life, Sasuke squeezed Naruto's hand.

For now...it was enough.

-Owari-


End file.
